Trench shoring frame

ABSTRACT

A trench shoring frame comprising side wall structures, a backfill engaging structure connected to the side walls, and independently movable downward sections on each side wall with fluid pressure operated piston and cylinder devices to move these sections.

United States Patent Morrice [4 1 Sept. 26, 1972 4] TRENCH SHORING FRAME 1,800,361 4/1931 Sheen ..61/85 [72] Inventor: Anthony Ronald Seam Morrice 72 2,908,140 1959 Everson ..61/41 A Kent Road, Harrogate England 2,922,283 1/1960 Porter ..61/85 X 3,089,310 5/1963 Torti ..61/41 A [221 F11ed= March 1971 3,204,415 9/1965 Hill et a1. ..61/85 x 21] APP] N 12 795 3,382,002 5/1968 Tabor ..6l/85 X 3,479,827 11/1969 Morrice ..6l/41 A Foreign Application Priority Data primary Examiner Dennis L Taylor March 25, 1970 'Great Britain ..14,464/ Attorney-Abraham Saffitz [52] US. Cl. ..6l/4l A [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. ..E2ld 7/00 A trench shoring frame comprising side wall struc- [58] Field of Search "61/41 tures, a backfill engaging structure connected to the side walls, and independently movable downward sec- [56] Rem-"Ices Cited tions on each side wall with fluid pressure operated UNI STATES PATENTS piston and cyiinder devices to move these sections.

3,473,336 10/ 1969 Torti ..61/41 A 7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures i so ZQS

PATENTEDSEPZBIBYZ 3,693 358 SHEEI10F'4 z/EA/ P ANTHONY RONALD SEATON noRRIcE 8 WWW J ATO Y mtunnsrrz mz I I 3.693.358

sumuora real v ANTHONY RONALD snA'ron mmucr:

TRENCI-I SIIORING FRAME This invention relates to trench shoring frames which are adapted to move along a trench whilst located therein.

A main use of such a trench shoring frame is in connection with the laying of pipes, cables or thelike in the said trench, the shoring frame being for the purposes of mechanizing the shoring of the trench and for protecting workmen in the trench from trench wall cave-ins.

It is an object of the invention to reduce the thrust required to move a trench shoring frame along a trench against side wall loads.

According to the present invention, a trench shoring frame comprises a pair of side wall structures for engaging the side walls of a ground trench, said side wall structures being'supported in spaced relationship so as to be capable of supporting the trench walls, and a structure which engages back fill connected to the side wall structures through jacking means, said side wall structures having movably connected thereto a downwardly extending section which is independently movable relative to the side wall structures in the direction of travel of the shoring frame whereby by separate forward movement of the mainside wall structures and the said downwardly extending section, the thrust required to overcome the ground forces is effectively reduced.

Preferably, said downwardly extending section is movably connected to the side wall structures through fluid pressure-operated piston-andcylinder devices so as to enable the trailing section to move relative to the side wall structures.

The downwardly extending section preferably comprises vertically disposed plate means which are supported in spaced-apart relationship. The horizontal distance between the plate means of the downwardly extending section is preferably less than the spacing between the side wall structures so as to reduce the effective width of the trench at the pipe-laying position. The plate means of the downwardly extending section may be carried on slideways provided on said side wall structures.

To facilitate entry into the ground-and changes of direction, said downwardly extension section is preferably movable vertically into and out of the side wall structures by means of fluid pressure-operated piston-and-cylinder devices, the pistons of which carry means to engage in any one of a number of slots in channel members secured to the insides of said side wall structures.

There are preferably two such piston-and-cylinder devices and channel members on each side wall structure.

The rear end of the downwardly extending section, having regard to the direction of travel of the shoring frame is preferably open so as not to foul the pipes laid in the trench during the movement of the shoring frame. The downwardly extending section may be made in differing widths to suit variable pipe dimen- SIOIIS.

The shoring frame may have one or more slidable extension sections movably connected to the side walls at the tops thereof, said additional sliding sections, preferably comprising a pair of spaced-apart plate structures and a structure which engages back fill connected thereto.

Additionally, the shoring frame may if desired have a forward extension section secured to the leading edges of the side wall structures, which projects below the lower extremities of the side wall structures, the forward faces of the extension section being formed as cutting edges.

' An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein;

-FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trench shoring frame according to the invention and showing the shoring frame in a trench;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of the frame shown in FIG. I, this figure being to a reduced scale;

FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively are perspective views to an enlarged scale of two details of the shoring frame; and

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are side elevations illustrating the steps in a cycle of the sequence of operations of the frame required to advance the frame along the trench.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to FIG. 1, the trench shoring frame is a box like structure and comprises three box section, A, B and C which are mounted one on top of the other and which are slidable one relative to the other by a limited amount in the direction of the trench D in which the frame is located. The direction in which the frame moves along the trench D is indicated by arrow E in FIGS. 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The

' respectively.

trench is dug out ahead of the shoring frame by an excavator indicated diagrammatically at F in FIG. 8.

Each of the sections A, B, and C comprises basically a pair of side plates 10A, 10B, 10C respectively (FIG.

2) and at the front end each of the sections A, B and C is provided with a proud plate arrangement 12A, 12B and 12C. The arrangement [28 may be removably secured to its respective section B if it is desired. The sections A and B are of the same widthie. the width of the trench D whereas the lowest section C is narrower than sections A and B and locates in a narrow channel at the bottom of trench D and into which are placed pipe sections indicated by 14 in FIGS. 2 and 5.

The side plates 10A, 10B and 10C are held in spaced parallel relationship by means of cross-struts (not shown) and by which the side-plates 10A, 10B and 10C are held against the walls of the trench D and the lower channel respectively to prevent cave-ins of the trench and channel walls. This arrangement provides that there is a working zone within the trench shoring frame for personnel involved in the laying of the pipe sections 14.

The trench shoring frame illustrated is advanced along the trench D in the direction of arrow B by the reaction of jacking thrust plates 16A and l6B'(see FIGS. 5 to 8) against back fill material placed in the trench to fill same behind the shoring frame. As shown clearly in FIGS. 5 to 8 the thrust plates 16A and 16B are mounted to the rear of the sections A and B respectively and movement of the thrust plates 16A, 16B is achieved by extending the hydraulic jacks 18A, 18B

Mounted on top of section A is a tray hopper 20 into which soil excavated by excavator F is tipped and which is capable of being pivoted about a rear axis by means of a hydraulic jack 22 as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6 in chain dotted lines to a position in which the soil is tipped from the hopper 20 into the trench behind the shoring frame.

The section B has at the rear lower edge thereof an extendible plate structure 24 which extends rearwardly of the section B and which serves in assisting to control the level of the shoring frame.

In using the shoring frame as described in order to lay a pipeline made up of sections 14 the excavator F excavates the ground to a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the trench D and the lower channel in which section C of the frame is to be located and the frame is placed into this excavation. The sections A, B and C are at this time in the relative dispositions shown in FIG. 5. The space behind the first plate 163 is filled with material either from the hopper 20 or from a separate supply and then the ram or rams 18B is or are extending to compact such backfill placed behind plate 163, as the soil compacts, the reaction on the rams 18B forces the intermediate section B to move forwards relative to sections A and C as shown in FIG. 6.

Next the space behind plate 16A is filled with backfill and rams 18A are extending compacting this backfill and then forcing section A to move forwards by reaction as indicated at FIG. 7.

Finally the rams 18B, 18A, are retracted in sequence as shown inFlG. 8 and the retraction of rams 18B pulls forward plate 16B. In the pulling forward of plate 16B the lowest section C is contacted and moved forwards with the plate 16B until it reaches the position shown in FIG. 8 and the whole shoring frame has now gone through one cycle and has moved along the trench the distance d indicated in FIG. 8.

During the operation the stabilizing plate 24 remains to a large extent embedded in the backfill to assist in controlling the level of the shoring frame.

Operation proceeds by the above cycle being repeated and the excavator F operating continuously ahead of the shoring frame and discharging sufficient material into the hopper'20 to serve as backfill as the work progresses. During the advancement of the shoring frame the pipe sections 14 are of course laid into,

the ground as-indicated in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that the plate 24 will move forwardly with the section B so as to allow compacted spoil to settle andcover the pipe sections 14 on movement of the shoring frame.

Advancement of the various sections A, B and C in the cycle of operations described is achieved in that the reaction forces on the jacks when compressing backfill are such that at a certain stage of compaction frictional forces on the side walls of the sections A, B and C are less than the reaction forces of the rams. Should the rams 18B be insufficient to advance the lower section C when being contacted then additional rams may be used as required.

Because the frictional forces exerted on the side walls of sections A, B and C may be considerable, the shoring frame is provided with side fins to ensure that the frame travels in the desired path and any tendency of the frame to lift out of the trench is resisted.

To this end each of the side plates B of intermediate section B has connected thereto three fins 26, 28, 30 each of which comprises an arcuate plate projecting from the associated side wall 10B, and each lying in a substantially horizontal plane. In fact the plate 26 lies in a plane which is upwardly and forwardly inclined, whereas plate 28 lies in a plane which is downwardly and forwardly inclined having regard to the direction of movement of the frame along the trench, i.e. direction E, and each of the said plates 26, 28 is pivotally mounted on an axis which is upright and is located at the inside of the side plate to which the fin is connected and the fin passes through a slot in the plate so that upon pivoting of the fin it can be retracted from the projected position shown to a position in which it does not project from the wall 108. The axis for the plate 28 is indicated at 32 in FIG. 1.

The plate 30 may have a similar mounting although this is not necessary because plate 30 is mounted towards the rear of plate 10B whereas fins 26 and 28 are mounted towards the front of plate 10B and at upper and lower levels as shown.

These fins 26, 28 and 30 are for projecting into the side walls of the trench D so as to maintain the frame during its movement on the desired path i.e. preferably at a constant level in relation to the surface of the ground in which the trench D is formed. Because tine plates 26, and 28 are inclined slightly in opposite directions relative to the horizontal, only the plates 26 or the plates 28 will normally be in use at any one time because if plates 26 only are in use i.e. projected into the trench side walls then this will cause the front end of the frame to be forced downwards whereas if only plates 28 are in use this will cause the front end of the frame to'be forced upwards. It can be seen therefore that these fin plates 26, 28 are used selectively to ensure that the frame in its movement follows the ground contour.

The rear fin plates 30 serve to prevent the rear end of the frame from lifting out of the ground and the plate structure 24 also assists in this respect. In use the plates 30, will be left permanently penetrating the trench walls.

Each of the plates 26, 28, 30 because of their dispositions, i.e. in substantially horizontal planes, provides little resistance to the forward movement of the frame along the trench D but each provides considerable resistance to vertical movement of the frame in the trench or resists any sudden tiltingmovement of the frame in the trench. Thus the fin plates 26, 28 and 30 when in use add considerable stability to the frame during its movement.

Referring now to FIG. 4, this shows a mounting arrangement for each of the fin plates 26 to 30. In FIG. 4 one of the plates 26 is illustrated but it will be appreciated that this can be any of the fin plates. The pivot access of the plate is shown at 34 and this is defined by a spindle on which is mounted a pinion 36. Pinion 36 meshes with a rack on the rod 38 of a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder device 40. This device 40 is carried on a swingable bracket 42, having a pivot axis at 44 on the inner face of the side wall 10B so that the bracket 42 can be swung to and fro as indicated by arrow 46. Swinging of bracket 42 in this manner it will be appreciated alters the angularity of the plate 26 relative to the horizontal and therefore if desired plates 26 and 28 could be adjusted so that their angularity relative to the horizontal is equal and indeed could be zero. The bracket 42 is held in adjusted position by passing a pin through any one of the series of holes 48 in a lug in the bracket and locating the said pin in a hole or socket in the inner face of wall 103. Thus if it is desired to adjust any one of the plates 26, 28 30 this would be retracted from the position shown in H6. 1 to the interior of the frame then the angularity of the plate would be adjusted by swinging bracket 42 about axis $4 and then the plate would again be entered into the trench side wall.

FIG. 3 shows an arrangement which can be used for lowering the bottom section C into the lower channel in the case" where some downward thrust is required in placing the section C in the channel. 0n the inside of the walls B are several channel members 50 which in their bases have slots 52. A cross bar 54 extending between a pair of channels 50 bears on the lower section side walls 10C. A hydraulic ram 56 is located in each of the said channels 50 and its piston is provided with a pad 58 which bears a cross bar 54 and its cylinder is provided with a lug 60 having an ear which engages in any one of the slots 52. The arrangement is that extension of the ram 56 forces the cross bar 54 and consequently the lower section C downwardly and into the lower channel in the trench. The operation takes place insteps in that when the ram 56 has been fully extending it is again contractedleaving the cross bar 54 and lower section 10C in the position to which they have been depressed; the ram 56 is removed, the lug 60 is entered in the next slot 52 in a downwards direction and the ram 56 is again extending.

The shoring frame is also provided with steering arrangements indicated at 62in FIG. 1 these steering arrangements being the subject of my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 3763 6/69 and also described in the said application is a lower level control means indicated by the pivotal plate 64 in FIG. 1.

It is anticipated that the shoring frame will be used in different forms depending upon the ground conditions in which it is operating. For example, in good ground conditions, the basic shoring frame, i.e. the section B comprising the side plates 10B and associated thrust plate 16B, will be used alone, the trailing sections A and C being inoperative. In very bad ground conditions, the section C will be brought into operation so as to reduce the effective width of the trench at the pipe laying'position and hence by separate forward movement of side walls of section B and the downwardly extending section, to effectively reduce the thrust required to overcome the ground forces.

The section A is normally used when the depth of the trench is required to be increased, and it will be appreciated that when the section A is not in use, the tray may be operatively attached to the section B.

lclaim:

l. A trench shoring frame comprising: I

a. three box sections mounted on top of each other and slidable one relative to the other in the direction of the trench in which the frame is located;

b. each of said box sections comprising a pair of side plates and a front plage for each of said pairs, said front plate being removable from at least one of said sections;

c. the first and second of said sections at the top being approximately the width of the trench while the lowermost of said sections being narrower than the width of said trench;

d. thrust plates mounted at the rear of each of said first and second sections movable by hydraulic means against back fill in the trench;

. each of said side plates of each pair of the first and second of said sections being formed with an extendable plate portion which extends rearwardly, each of said rearwardly extendable plate portions serving to control the level of the shoring frame while under pneumatic pushing forces by said thrust plates, each of the side plates of said first and second sections further including forward extensions removably secured thereto wherein the leading edges of the forward extensions are formed as cutting edges, said downwardly extending sectionsserving to move inwardly and outwardly of the side wall plates into the ground and change direction while said forward extensions serve as cutting edges in the forward movement of the shore frame through the trench; and

f. fluid pressure operated piston cylinder means mounted in slotsalong the inside of said side plates, mounting means defining slots outward to the inside of said side plates which serve to mount the pistons and enable hydraulic movement in direction of travel and then reverse direction of the side walls of the side plates.

2. A trench shoring frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein slideways are provided on said side wall structures and vertically disposed plates are mounted in said slideways to facilitate protection against cave-in.

3'. A trench shoring frame comprising a pair of side wall structures for engaging the side walls of a ground trench, said side wall structures being supported in spaced-apart relationship so as to be capable of supporting the trench walls, and a structure which engages backfill connected to the side wall structures through jacking means which are operable to cause forward movement of the side wall structure and the structure which engages backfill, said side wall structures having movably connected thereto adownwardly extending section comprising vertically disposed plate means which are supported in spaced relationship and which are slidably carriedby the side wall structures said vertically disposed plate means extending below the lower extremities of the side wall structures and being independently movable relative to the side wall structures in the direction of travel of the shoring frame, whereby by separate forward movement of the side wall structures and the said vertically disposed plate means constituting the downwardly extending section, the thrust required to overcome the ground forces is effectively reduced.

4. A trench shoring frame according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal distance between the vertically disposed plate means is less than the horizontal spacing between the side wall structures so as to effectively reduce the width of the trench at the pipelaying position.

51. A trench shoring frame according to claim 4, wherein said downwardly extending section composed of the vertically disposed plate means is movable vertically into and out of the side wall structures so as to facilitate entry into the ground and changes of direction of the shoring frame by means of fluid pressure-operated piston-and-cylinder devices, the pistons 7 8 of which carry an ear to engage in any one of a number 7. A trench shoring frame according to claim 3, in- Of Slots members secured to the mslde cluding at least one slidable extension connected to the fases of sad wan Structures top of the side wall structures, said slidable extension 6. A trench shoring frame according to claim 3, wherein the shoring frame has a forward extension removably secured thereto, the leading edges of the extension being formed as cutting edges.

comprising a pair of spaced-apart plate structures and a structure adapted to engage backfill connected thereto. 

1. A trench shoring frame comprising: a. three box sections mounted on top of each other and slidable one relative to the other in the direction of the trench in which the frame is located; b. each of said box sections comprising a pair of side plates and a front plage for each of said pairs, said front plate being removable from at least one of said sections; c. the first and second of said sections at the top being approximately the width of the trench while the lowermost of said sections being narrower than the width of said trench; d. thrust plates mounted at the rear of each of said first and second sections movable by hydraulic means against back fill in the trench; e. each of said side plates of each pair of the first and second of said sections being formed with an extendable plate portion which extends rearwardly, each of said rearwardly extendable plate portions serving to control the level of the shoring frame while under pneumatic pushing forces by said thrust plates, each of the side plates of said first and second sections further including forward extensions removably secured thereto wherein the leading edges of the forward extensions are formed as cutting edges, said downwardly extending sections serving to move inwardly and outwardly of the side wall plates into the ground and change direction while said forward extensions serve as cutting edges in the forward movement of the shore frame through the trench; and f. fluid pressure operated piston cylinder means mounted in slots along the inside of said side plates, mounting means defining slots outward to the inside of said side plates which serve to mount the pistons and enable hydraulic movement in direction of travel and then reverse direction of the side walls of the side plates.
 2. A trench shoring frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein slideways are provided on said side wall structures and vertically disposed plates are mounted in said slideways to facilitate protection against cave-in.
 3. A trench shoring frame comprising a pair of side wall structures for engaging the side walls of a ground trench, said side wall structures being supported in spaced-apart relationship so as to be capable of supporting the trench walls, and a structure which engages backfill connected to the side wall structures through jacking means which are operable to cause forward movement of the side wall structure and the structure which engages backfill, said side wall structures having movably connected thereto a downwardly extending section comprising vertically disposed plate means which are supported in spaced relationship and which are slidably carried by the side wall structures said vertically disposed plate means extending below the lower extremities of the side wall structures and being independently movable relative to the side wall structures in the direction of travel of the shoring frame, whereby by separate forward movement of the side wall structures and the said vertically disposed plate means constituting the downwardLy extending section, the thrust required to overcome the ground forces is effectively reduced.
 4. A trench shoring frame according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal distance between the vertically disposed plate means is less than the horizontal spacing between the side wall structures so as to effectively reduce the width of the trench at the pipelaying position.
 5. A trench shoring frame according to claim 4, wherein said downwardly extending section composed of the vertically disposed plate means is movable vertically into and out of the side wall structures so as to facilitate entry into the ground and changes of direction of the shoring frame by means of fluid pressure-operated piston-and-cylinder devices, the pistons of which carry an ear to engage in any one of a number of slots in channel members secured to the inside surfaces of said side wall structures.
 6. A trench shoring frame according to claim 3, wherein the shoring frame has a forward extension removably secured thereto, the leading edges of the extension being formed as cutting edges.
 7. A trench shoring frame according to claim 3, including at least one slidable extension connected to the top of the side wall structures, said slidable extension comprising a pair of spaced-apart plate structures and a structure adapted to engage backfill connected thereto. 